How to Calculate Time Cards Manually

by Amanda Dyar; Updated September 26, 2017

Create time cards for all employees that show the hours worked during each pay period as designated by federal requirements of the Department of Labor. To calculate time cards manually, gather all the information regarding the hours worked. Take the hours worked--from the period that employee clocked in until he clocked out--and subtract from this time for breaks and lunch. Keeping precise records of time worked is important for employees who are paid hourly.

Items you will need

Pencil

Paper

Calculator

Step 1

Visit the U.S. Department of Labor website to learn federal requirements for maintaining accurate records of time worked. Learn laws that are relevant to time cards and consequences of misrepresenting time card records. Contact your state employment office to learn state laws regarding information on tracking hours worked by employees.

Step 2

Construct a worksheet for figuring time cards manually. Take a sheet of paper and create several columns and label it by employee names, dates worked and times clocked in and out. Document all the daily hours worked by date on the worksheet and total the number of hours worked for each date. Subtract the amount of hours the employee used for breaks and lunches. Determine the amount of hours the employee worked for the pay period by adding all of the daily end totals together.

Step 3

Calculate the employee's pay for the period by multiplying the total hours worked by employee's pay rate. Change the minutes worked to decimal format by dividing the amount by 60 and adding that to the sum of the hours worked. Round time up or down by 10 or 15 minute increments such as 6:11 a.m. to 6:15 a.m. Determine if the employee has received any overtime, vacation or sick time that needs to be considered in manually calculating employee's time card.

Step 4

Make copies of all documents to keep in a locked cabinet labeled payroll records. Create a form that keeps track of all employee's weekly time worked, pay rate, and total amount grossed each pay period. Keep the information easily assessable for calculating payroll each pay period. Determine labor expense by multiplying all employee totals together for the pay period. Give the employee a copy of time card calculations such as a pay stub with employee's paycheck each period.

Resources

About the Author

Amanda Dyar is a professional writer with 20 years of experience. She has published several books based on her short story writings. Her first published book was "Collections of the Insane Mind." She was a lifestyle columnist for the Weekly Post in Rainsville, Ala. She holds a bachelor's degree in human resource management and psychology.

Photo Credits

Time to work, clock-face and money background image by Nikolai Sorokin from Fotolia.com